THE University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters narrowly escaped a last-second scare to edge the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Panthers, 67-66, in one of the most thrilling finishes in the ongoing Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) men’s basketball tournament at the Cebu Colliseum on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025.
The Webmasters held a slim three-point lead, 67-64, with just 0.7 seconds left in regulation after Luther Gabriel Leonard sank two free throws.
However, the Panthers responded swiftly and nearly forced overtime when Keaton Taburnal drew a foul from Andre Cuizon on a three-point attempt with only 0.3 seconds remaining, earning him a trip to the free-throw line.
Taburnal, known for his sharp-shooting ability, coolly made the first two shots, cutting the deficit to just one, 67-66. But his third attempt — the potential game-tying shot — bounced off the rim, dimming USPF’s hopes.
The Panthers still had one final chance to steal the win when Paul Apolonio grabbed the rebound off Taburnal’s miss and quickly went for a putback, but Cuizon blocked the shot as the final buzzer sounded, sealing UC’s hard-earned victory — its fourth in five outings.
The loss dropped USPF deeper down the cellar with 1-5 card, along with the University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu Fighting Maroons and the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Wildcats.
The Webmasters appeared headed for an easy victory after posting a 22-point lead, 56-34, late in the third quarter. But the gritty Panthers of coach Paul Alelu, who was assisted by former PBA star Arwind Santos, refused to raise the white flag.
With Paulo Dalumpines orchestrating the offense alongside Taburnal, the Panthers launched a spirited 19-7 blitz to cut the lead to 62-55 with 3:53 remaining.
UC tried to stretch back the gap, but Reedjhee Recimento knocked down two consecutive triples, narrowing the gap to 66-64 and electrifying the USPF fans with 37 seconds left.
In the return play, Leonard was fouled and split his two charity shots to make it 67-64, setting up the dramatic final sequence that followed.
Charles Libatog had a double-double performance of 14 points and 10 rebounds for UC, while Dannie Boy Lapiz and Carlo Salgarino chipped in 10 points apiece.
For USPF, Taburnal erupted for 20 points and Dalumpines finished with 13 notches and seven rebounds.
Meanwhile, the University of Cebu – Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue (UCLM) Junior Webmasters battered the Benedicto College (BC) Baby
Cheetahs, 55-37.
With the win, UCLM, under the mentorship og Calib Gawangon, solidified its hold of the lead with a 4-1 slate, while the Baby Cheetahs are now tied with the USPF Baby Panthers at 3-2. / JBM